


Character One-Shots

by Sylvil



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:53:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3113702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvil/pseuds/Sylvil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Character exploration/side fics/super short prompts</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Music Shop (Balthazar)

It was a kind of therapy, if you were being completely honest with yourself.

Entering a music store was always like entering a candy shop… A candy shop with extremely expensive sweets. You usually limit yourself to the front displays; picking up a new pick or a fresh set of strings. One very bad day you had allowed yourself to wander a bit further back and had come home with a new microphone set up. It was worth it. You needed a new one anyway.

The intended goal of this particular trip had been to get a shorter cable for the mic so it wouldn’t tangle as often when you were at home. It didn’t go as planned. Once you were there, all of the pent up emotion and anxiety demanded to be released at once and you were surrounded by potential outlets. The back of the store was far too much to resist.

Three refreshing hours later and you are on your way home again. Your fingers brush the unscuffed hard black case. You may have gotten a bit carried away this time, but there’s no way this purchase could go wrong. Banjo goes with everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonus tidbit: He forgot to buy the cable


	2. Words (Balthazar)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-series Balthazar. Bullying cw

Words are hard.  
Well… Not words, per se. Just the vocalization of them in an order than makes approximate sense. To other people.  
You used to stammer all the time. You still do occasionally. People would try to get you to talk just so they could laugh. You took to staring at your shoes instead. That was easier.  
Music didn’t laugh. Music didn’t make fun of you. Music was easy. It was always there. It was warm and comforting. It let you express yourself in ways you never could before.  
You don’t stutter when you sing.


	3. Verges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misgendering and nonacceptance prevalent  
> I have this headcanon about Verges  
> Sorta half-fic half explanation  
> Agender Verges. Very straightforward Dogberry. Unmentioned asexual Ursula.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m cis myself, so if I screwed something up please let me know.

Verges is agender, and was terrified of anyone finding out before they met Dogberry.  
See, Verges was raised in an extremely religious household, and any deviation was considered terrible.

After an extremely rough day, they were just trying to relax and waste as much time as possible before heading home when Dogberry walked up and started nattering at them. He called them Georgia three times and Verges snapped, “Don’t call me that!” Verges quickly covered their mouth and tried to disappear.  
Dogberry was entirely unfazed, “What’s your name, then?”  
"C-call m-me V-erges. Verges, please." They stammered, confused by this strange boy.  
He extended a hand, “Nice to meet you, Verges. I’m Hugh, but my nickname is Dogberry!”

After that, they are fast friends. Verges heard Dogberry refer to them using feminine pronouns once, and hesitantly asked him to not do that again. Dogberry complied instantly with only one slip up, after which he apologized.

When Dogberry announced that he had found someone to help film a detective show, he had to plead with Verges to meet with Ursula. He promised that she was wonderful, but Verges had become accustomed to being laughed at and was in no mood for it to continue. Once he finally persuaded them (more like pleaded until Verges was sick of hearing him whine) they found that Ursula was everything he had promised and more. Ursula accepted Verges instantly and had taken notice of Dogberry’s avoidance of feminine pronouns and avoided them herself. Verges had never felt more comfortable in a situation.

The more people Verges met in that friend group, the more comfortable they felt with their identity. Discussions with Ursula helped Verges learn things that they would never dare look up at home. Both Dogberry and Ursula introduced them solely as Verges and none of the group referred to them by any other name. The group did call the pair "Ursula's year nines," but Verges had no problem with that at all. Occasionally one or two would use feminine pronouns, but by and large they were careful to avoid them, even if they weren’t sure quite why.

One day Verges ran into some people that picked on them previously. The bullies repeatedly misgendered Verges and called them by the incorrect name.  
Afterwards, Verges felt shattered. Their whole life cut like broken glass. It was a lie. Of course it was a lie. Everyone told them so. Verges just wanted to crawl into a dark corner and vanish from the earth but Dogberry was expecting to record the first episode of The Watch and they couldn’t let him down.

Verges was going to introduce themselves as Georgia, and told Dogberry so before starting recording. He didn’t object initially, but interrupted Verges before they could say it during the actual filming. Verges regained a bit of confidence, “They call me Verges,” but then echoed the bullies, “…they don’t really.” A nervous laugh escaped them. They wanted to disappear.  
"I do," Dogberry’s earnest response rips apart any composer they had managed to maintain. Verges was only able to hold a frozen smile for a few seconds before breaking down.  
"It’s just a silly nickname," Verges got out between sobs, "Like Dogberry."  
Dogberry looked sincerely confused, “No it’s not. Hugh is my name, but Dogberry is what I prefer to be called. Your name _is ___Verges _and ___that’s what you prefer to be called. Simple!” He paused, “Unless you have a new name now?” He waited patiently.  
Verges sniffled, “No… My name is Verges.”  
"Oh good! I didn’t want to be calling you by the wrong name. That would be awfully confusing." Dogberry picked up their cup, "More tea?"


End file.
